Blood cell image classifying apparatuses are known which image blood smears and classify blood cells into red blood cells, white blood cells, a subclass of the white blood cells, and the like on the basis of the obtained blood cell image (for example, JP-A-2002-365285). In addition, in this kind of blood cell image classifying apparatus, a technique is also known in which the blood cell image classifying apparatus is connected to a blood cell counting apparatus, which aspirates the blood specimen and measures the aspirated blood specimen to classify and count the blood cells on the basis of optical information, so as to perform data communication therewith (for example, JP-A-5-80045).
The blood cell counting apparatus periodically measures a quality control specimen which includes a predetermined amount of red blood cells, white blood cells and the like, and confirms that correct analysis results are being obtained, that is, quality control is typically performed. On the other hand, in the known blood cell image classifying apparatus described above, even though a quality control scheme exists, there is a need for classifying the blood cell images and confirming that the count results thus obtained for each type of blood cell are correct on the basis of a highly reliable reference value.